Electric-railway system



No. 6ll,559. j Patented Sept. 27, I898.

G. L. CAMPBELL; ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM.

(Application filed Oct. 29, 1897.)

(N0 Modal.)

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Hanan STATES PATENT GEORGE L. CAMPBELL, OF DUSHORE, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC-RAILWAY SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 611,559, dated September 27, 1898.

Application filed October 29, 1897. Serial No. 666,772. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. CAMPBELL, of Dushore, in the county of Sullivan and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Electric-Railway System, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in electric-railway systems comprising means by which a closed conduit may be operated, using a surface rail which is in short insulated sections, and a trolley or follower with in said conduit, communicating between a continuous conductor and said third rail or sectional conductor and caused to travel with the car by the influence of a magnet mounted upon the car.

My invention comprises certain novel features of construction, which will be hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a transverse section of the track having my improvement applied, a portion of the truckof a car being shown in end elevation. Fig; 2 is a longitudinal section through the conduit, showing the trolley and the magnets of a car. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the same. Fig. 4: is a similar view to that of Fig. 2, showing the trolley in a different position; and Fig. 5 is a detail transverse sectional view of the same.

In my improved system the conduit A, which, as shown, is integral with one of the rails, is entirely inclosed, there being no slot at the top for the entrance of the trolley-pole. The conduit is provided with a continuous conductor G, resting upon the flange c of the rail E, located in the bottom of the conduit A. This conductor G may be insulated from the rail E, if desired, although not so shown. It must, however, be insulated from the conduit-walls. As shown in the drawings, this is accomplished by insulating the entire rail E and conductor G by placing strips or blocks g beneath the rail E. The upper portion of the conduit, instead of having a slot, as is usual in such constructions, has a sectional conductor B, which is composed of short sections insulated from the conduit and from each other by strips 12 of any insulating material. The conductor B is preferably of brass or some other non-magnetic metal which is a good conductor. The inner surface of the conductor B is accessible from the interior of the conduit, and the outer surface is accessible, so that it may be engaged by a shoe or trolley mounted upon the car.

In the conduit A and mounted to travel upon the rail E is the tilting traveler or trolley, consisting of the frame D and the wheels 01, d, (F, and d journaled therein. The wheel d travels upon the rail E, and the wheels 01 d are adapted to contact with the conductor B. The wheels dd d are insulated from the frame D by bushings, as shown at I. The wheel d is mounted in the frame in such a manner that when in-use and as shown in Fig. 2 it is out of contact with the rail E. The frame D is provided with a brush F at its bottom, engaging the continuous conductor G, and at its top with a brush F, adapted to engage the sectional conductor B when in the position shown in Fig. 2. The brushes F and F are connected by the con ductor F The car which is to be used in connection with the mechanism previously described is provided with magnets H, which are located close to and above the sectional conductor or third rail B. These magnets are preferably electromagnets, which are energized by an electric current derived either from the conductors B and G, from the storage batteries,

or in any other suitable manner. When these magnets are energized, the trolley is attracted thereto and will follow after the same. This will occur although there is no direct contact between the magnet and the traveler or trolley. Contact is made with the conductor B by means of a shoe 0, carried upon the car, or by any of the usual means commonly employed.

When the trolley is held in the position shown in Fig. 2 by the magnetism of the magnets H, the wheels d and d and brush F are held in contact with the conductor B and the wheel d out of contact with the railE; but as soon as the influence of the magnets H is Withdrawn the trolley tilts to the position shown in Fig. 4c, and the wheel d coming in contact with the rail E, acts as a brake to stop the trolley. The surface of the wheel d is preferably roughened, as shown in Fig. 5.

It will thus be seen that in this system the conductor B, which constitutes a third rail, is not energized excepting when the car is passing over it. Normally this third rail is dead, having no electric current therein. This system is thus absolutely safe and needs no protection in the way of fences or otherwise, and workmen may be employed above it with impunity and without taking special care to avoid contact with the rail.

This system of railway construction will obviate the unsightliness of the overhead trolley, a great deal of the expense connected with the underground trolley, and the danger accompanying the use of the ordinary third rail. It may therefore be used within city streets and in all places frequented by the public without the least danger of there being any accident. The length of the sections of the conductor B or the third rail may be such as found desirable. It is thus possible to make these sections short enough so that two adjacent sections will be entirely covered by a car, thus making it impossible for the public to ever get an electric shock from the conductor.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In an electric-railway system, the combination with a closed conduit having a sectional insulated conductor in its upper face and provided with a continuous conductor within the body thereof, of a tilting traveler or trolley mounted in the conduit and provided with contacts for engaging the said conductors, said traveler or trolley being adapted to beheld in its normal position and to be moved by the influence of an electromagnet on the car, whereby when the influence of the magnet is withdrawn, the traveler or trolley will tilt and break the circuit, substantially as described.

2. In an electric railway the combination with a closed conduit having a sectional in sulated conductor in its upper face, and provided witha continuous conductor within the body thereof, of a tilting traveler or trolley mounted in the conduit and provided with contacts for engaging the said conductors, and with a brake which is applied upon the tilting of the traveler or trolley, said traveler or trolley being adapted to be held in its normal position and to be moved by the influence of an electromagnet on the car, substantially as described.

3. I11 an electric-railway system, the combination with a closed conduit having a sectional insulated conductor in its upper face and provided with a continuous conductor Within the body thereof, and with a guiderail, of a traveler or trolley mounted in the conduit to be moved by the influence of an electromagnet on the car and having two wheelsen gaging the sectional conductor, and one wheel traveling on the guide-rail of the conduit, the said wheels being insulated from their support, and contacts carried by the frame and engaging the said conductors, substantially. as described.

4. In an electric-railway system, the combination with a closed conduit having a sectional insulated conductor in its upper face and provided with a continuous conductor within the body thereof, and with a guiderail, of a traveler or trolley mounted in the conduit to be moved by the influence of an electromagnet on the car and comprising a frame having two wheels in its upper portion for engaging the sectional conductor, and one wheel in its lower portion engaging the guiderail, said wheels being insulated from the frame, said frame being provided with contacts for engaging the said conductors and with a brake-wheel having a roughened surface and normally held out of contact with the guide-rail, substantially as described.

5. An electric-railway system, comprising a closed conduit, a continuous conductor therein, a conductor composed of short insulated sections forming a part of the conduitwall, a trolley or traveler mounted to traverse said conductor andhaving brushes adapted to engage both of said conductors, said traveler dropping by gravity to frictionally engage the stationary guide, a conductor connecting the brushes of the traveler, a brake carried by the traveler, and a magnet upon the car adapted to raise said traveler and cause it to traverse the conduit, substantially as described.

GEORGE L. CAMPBELL. Witnesses:

E. L. SMITH, W. B. LAYTON. 

